WHEN Freeman Chari emigrated to the United States, like most Africans in the Diaspora, he began giving back to communities in Zimbabwe. He managed to convince Zimbabweans across the world to contribute towards building schools in remote areas and started a non-profit called Citizens Initiative.
While they were building a secondary school at Masibinta in Binga, he realised that the area, although poor, had talented weavers whose baskets are popular all over the world. The makers are not the ones benefiting from their skill. Freeman then decided to start tarooka.com
Tarooka solves the challenge of access to market by providing both warehousing facilities in the USA and an online marketplace that charges minimal fees. Artisans have an option to bulk ship their products to Tarooka’s warehouse once their store has been approved. The platform fees for this group is 12.5%
For a select group of artisans who are unable to ship their product, Tarooka has been providing shipping services at no charge to them. The platform then charges 20% of the gross price of the product when it is sold.
Tarooka is also not just available for African makers; local handcrafters in the USA can also create stores and sell on the platform. Unlike marketplaces like Etsy, Tarooka does not charge any listing fee. A US maker can open a store for just $10, and the transaction fee is 6.5%.
Tarooka is set to revolutionise the market for handcrafters, providing them with a fair and accessible global platform. By eliminating prohibitive costs like listing fees and providing critical infrastructure like US warehousing and subsidised shipping options, Tarooka ensures that the skilled artisans—whether from remote areas in Zimbabwe or within the US—are the primary beneficiaries of their craft, forging a direct path to prosperity and wider market recognition.
